Which factor best explains why Native Americans were able to make permanent settlements?
Responses
Native Americans began to cultivate plants for food
Native Americans began to create more complex tools and pottery
Native Americans discovered alternate food sources, such as shellfish
Native Americans wanted to to band together in large groups for protection
The factor that best explains why Native Americans were able to make permanent settlements is: Native Americans began to cultivate plants for food.
The factor that best explains why Native Americans were able to make permanent settlements is that they began to cultivate plants for food. To understand why this is the case, we can examine the process of reasoning.
1. Consider the basic needs of human beings: food, water, and shelter.
2. Native Americans, like all early societies, relied on hunting and gathering for their food supply. However, hunting and gathering require constant movement to follow migrating game and gather seasonal resources.
3. The cultivation of plants allowed Native Americans to have a more reliable food source. They started domesticating and farming crops such as maize (corn), beans, and squash.
4. Cultivating plants allowed them to settle in one location instead of constantly moving in search of food. By adopting agriculture, they could establish permanent settlements and establish a stable food supply.
5. Permanent settlements provided a foundation for the development of more complex societies, as people could focus on tasks beyond subsistence, such as art, architecture, trade, and governance.
Therefore, the factor of Native Americans beginning to cultivate plants for food best explains why they were able to make permanent settlements.